XIV Union of the Baltic Cities General Conference will focus on questions of leadership in the Baltic Sea Region

The XIV Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) General Conference will be held in Växjö, Sweden, on 24–27 October 2017. The theme of the general conference is "Leadership for the future – Cities as leaders for glocal sustainable development".

Including Mayors and other representatives from the UBC member cities, the General Conference hosts top-level speakers across the Baltic Sea region, such as Karl-Heinz Lambertz, Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions, and Lena Ek, Senior Advisor in Sustainable Seas Foundation and Former Minster of Environment in Sweden. The UBC General Conference will also feature a strong involvement of youth representatives from the Baltic Sea region.

– We live in challenging times, which require that cities stand up and show leadership. The UBC General Conference in Växjö, celebrating the UBC’s 25th Anniversary and achievements, is the natural forum to seek effective solutions to common challenges, such as climate, jobs, growth, integration and security, states President of the UBC Per Bødker Andersen.

The host city Växjö is a strong regional centre with a growth rate comparable to Sweden’s major cities and a renowned environmental policy.

– Växjö is honored to host the XIV UBC General Conference. Mayors and local leaders are part of the solution for an open and sustainable Baltic Sea Region, and we as leaders must use our local power for a positive development of the entire region. Our mission goes beyond our city borders, emphasizes Lord Mayor of Växjö Bo Frank.

Expected amount of participants in the conference is up to 300 from all Baltic Sea region countries. The statutory General Assembly of the UBC will take place during the conference on 26 October 2017. Registration to the XIV UBC General Conference is now open at.

UBC Youth Conference focuses on young people’s role in decision-making and shaping our common future

One of the UBC’s special emphasises has for some years been youth participation. UBC Youth Conference will be organised simultaneously with the UBC General Conference. Young people from the whole Baltic Sea region will engage in solving questions and issues affecting the Baltic Sea region and present their work in the General Conference.

The aim is to include the youth – the future leaders – in decision-making as well as implementation. In addition, the purpose of the UBC Youth Conference is to bring young people from around the region together to network and to share ideas and experiences.

Already before the General Conference on 12–13 June 2017 in Berlin, the Baltic Sea Region Youth Conference will be held in connection with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region’s 8th Annual Forum. The Youth Conference supports the seminar “Nothing about us without us – making it work!” which is part of the EUSBSR Forum official programme. Both are arranged jointly by the UBC, Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation and Euroregion Baltic.

“Knowing entrepreneurship”: challenges for the Baltics’ authorities There at least two main world’s resources for analysing entrepreneurship: the World Bank yearly reports “doing business” and the OECD regional/national analysis. For already eight years the Amway reports are becoming popular as well. These reports make policy makers better understand the ways to assist business.